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uv icon

Guest
So what's been going on in the halls of the Shapiro Upper Valley Radio Group? From what I hear....
The sales force is once again (ala Jeff S previous incarnations) ruling the airwaves. Commercial inventory is up...commercial limitations out the window. Hello 15-18 minutes per hour!
I hear some unhappiness with the KIXX staff because of some formatting changes brought on by the consultant (former Shapiro cronie Ken Barlow?) but I also think KIXX sounds more focused on the air than it has in some time. I expect the KIXX staff is just bitching cause they haven't had to answer to anyone for awhile.
No changes on XL92 though I hear things will be happening soon. The morning show is god-awful and the station continues to flounder.
The new 93.9 The Pulse. They are trying in AM Drive with Greg and Brian and it is a pretty good local effort. After 9am it's a mess and sounds like a Concorsd station. And what's the deal with Channel 9 News all over the place? Did Shapiro buy stock in that station? Ch 9 doesn't even relate to Vermont and a good 50% of 93.9 coverage is in VT. Technically the station sounds awful with all kinds of mistakes.
The rock on 101,7 continues to limp along. Either put some effort into it or kill it and put it out of it's misery.
WTSL-AM...do they even know it's on the air?

The Nassau halls are buzzing. Rumor is that 104.3 will be switching to the new WEEI sports simulcast and the oldies will switch to 910/1230AM. They want their sports on FM wherever possible.
The Wolf is continuing to do what they do but will it step up to increased KIXX pressure?
The Q remains to be a remnant of it's old self. The morning show seems to be doing nothing but may pick up some listenership now that the Morning Buzz is off the air.

Bob Vinekoor has switched WCNL=AM to Classic Country with Steve Smith a PD/Morning man and his wife (who has no radio experience) as PM Drive. Look for this one (with the esteemed Mr. Smith who is totally in love with himself) to do nothing...go nowhere and quietly disappear in a few months time.

Always a pleasure.
 
Would Nassau benefit by moving "The Wolf" up the dial to the stronger C3 signal of 104.3 and put WEEI on the weaker 95.3 ?
 
Astute observations UV icon...whomever you may be.

Did you think that any Shapiro/Caswell operation WOULDN'T be sales driven? Is a pig's ass pork?

I agree, XL-92 is a shell of it's former self. Personally, it needs a little more of an edge, like it used to have. They are obviously catering to the soccer-moms, and that is just not cutting it. Its painful over there. Listening ummm to ummm Krista in ummmm the ummmm morning is ummm, boring. While I have nothing against her personally, she lacks the direction she needs. With a little help, fine tuning and honing ( I SAID HONING!) she could be pretty good.

Again, Kixx staff bitching? Does the Pope wear a funny hat?

I tried to put my finger on the Pulse, but couldn't find it (BA DUM DUM!). I agree, the MUR news sounds awful. Especially when you hear them saying, "You're looking at a live shot of Manchester this morning!" as I drive up 91. Plus, it sounds as if the studio mic is positioned right next to the speaker on the tv in the studio! I sure home they continue to pay their Comcast bill over there on the mall, or else we'd here MUCH more tones on the air than we do now. The morning show....well....let's leave it at that. __________________________ (that's an EKG flat line, in case you needed another bad "pulse" pun!)

101.7? I listened one afternoon for around 25-30 minutes, and heard NO ID's, sweepers, anything. I would hear a song dead roll into a SPOT...then right out of a spot into another song...then the same thing again....lather, rinse, repeat.

I haven't heard much from Nassau, except they keep plugging along with the skeleton crew they have...now I hear Matt in the morning is leaving? That Oldies rumor has been around for a while, Shep should get his resume updated, he'd be a good asset to someone.

And to use a quote I saw on here last week, the Q "smells."

WCNL seems to be trying. I have been listening to it on the stream for about 4 hours now, and I will say that several times I HAVE wanted to climb on a chair, tighten the noose, slit my guts open and jump. I understand they are going for CLASSIC country, but the need to pick it up a little.

I worked with Steve, so I won't bash him, he IS trying....but I will say that he DOES have a monumental task ahead of him if that station is going to compete with anybody.
 
Well it's been some time since I've seen some good trash talk on this board. Let's see, while Bobby V and Jeffy have been doing battle for the King of talk, it sounds like Nassau has come up with the best idea going with EEI. There goes each of their Red Sox contracts. I have to agree that GXL lacks many key elements. Let's say talent for one. Now I don't know about you, but imagine working for someone who knows about 2% of what you know. I know I would bitch if I had a (board) ops mgr. that has no clue. Or how about a GM that has no programing knowledge. Maybe before they had no one to answer to, I wonder if now anyone there has any answers. Who's got two thumbs and wants none of that, this guy!
 
uv icon said:
So what's been going on in the halls of the Shapiro Upper Valley Radio Group? From what I hear....
The sales force is once again (ala Jeff S previous incarnations) ruling the airwaves. Commercial inventory is up...commercial limitations out the window. Hello 15-18 minutes per hour!
I hear some unhappiness with the KIXX staff because of some formatting changes brought on by the consultant (former Shapiro cronie Ken Barlow?) but I also think KIXX sounds more focused on the air than it has in some time. I expect the KIXX staff is just bitching cause they haven't had to answer to anyone for awhile.
No changes on XL92 though I hear things will be happening soon. The morning show is god-awful and the station continues to flounder.
The new 93.9 The Pulse. They are trying in AM Drive with Greg and Brian and it is a pretty good local effort. After 9am it's a mess and sounds like a Concorsd station. And what's the deal with Channel 9 News all over the place? Did Shapiro buy stock in that station? Ch 9 doesn't even relate to Vermont and a good 50% of 93.9 coverage is in VT. Technically the station sounds awful with all kinds of mistakes.
The rock on 101,7 continues to limp along. Either put some effort into it or kill it and put it out of it's misery.
WTSL-AM...do they even know it's on the air?

The Nassau halls are buzzing. Rumor is that 104.3 will be switching to the new WEEI sports simulcast and the oldies will switch to 910/1230AM. They want their sports on FM wherever possible.
The Wolf is continuing to do what they do but will it step up to increased KIXX pressure?
The Q remains to be a remnant of it's old self. The morning show seems to be doing nothing but may pick up some listenership now that the Morning Buzz is off the air.

Bob Vinekoor has switched WCNL=AM to Classic Country with Steve Smith a PD/Morning man and his wife (who has no radio experience) as PM Drive. Look for this one (with the esteemed Mr. Smith who is totally in love with himself) to do nothing...go nowhere and quietly disappear in a few months time.

Always a pleasure.
Click to expand...

I get to split time between the Capitol Region and the Upper Valley (mainly since I live in Allenstown, work in Pembroke and my soon-to-be wife lives in Charlestown) so I get to listen to stations from both markets. I think Kixx is much improved and tighter and I like their jingle package. It is also nice to hear their legal id without the 93.5 signal which has been dark (albeit because they have a Cp to move to the Keene area) for awhile now.

The Wolf in the UV sounds to me pretty much like the Wolf does in Concord. Only difference is WNHW has Lia at night (she is on Kixx in the UV). I have not heard much of XL since I am more of a country fan. I would like to hear the Pulse. True that WMUR news does not make much sense in the UV as it does on their sister station. WTPL airs it from 5-6 AM 12 noon - 12:30 (or is it 1:00) and 5:00-6:30 PM. When does the UV Pulse run it? Do they have Dennis Miller too (WTPL does).

Q is not my cup of tea and neither is 101.7. I don't listen to them.
 
Sidebar-
"True that WMUR news does not make much sense in the UV as it does on their sister station."
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Strictly speaking, I'd agree with taylorjsdad on that statement, however, WMUR-TV is on the Comcast cable system in the UV and is available on DirectTV on the N.H. side of the river as an optional local channel. The Upper Valley is kinda betwixt and between when it comes to TV coverage. The only "local" OTA outlet (WNNE) has been a rebroadcast of WPTZ Burlington-Plattsburgh for a while now but I have to say stations from Concord and Burlington do send crews when stories warrant. But I digress.
 
And WMUR/9 and WNNE/31-WPTZ/5 while both serve different markets are co-owned by Hearst / Argyle. Arguably Manchester is closer, and may have more in common than Burlington. I'm sure the folks in the UV watching WNNE could care less about news from "West Chazy, NY"..
 
CrankyYankee said:
Sidebar-
"True that WMUR news does not make much sense in the UV as it does on their sister station."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strictly speaking, I'd agree with taylorjsdad on that statement, however, WMUR-TV is on the Comcast cable system in the UV and is available on DirectTV on the N.H. side of the river as an optional local channel. The Upper Valley is kinda betwixt and between when it comes to TV coverage. The only "local" OTA outlet (WNNE) has been a rebroadcast of WPTZ Burlington-Plattsburgh for a while now but I have to say stations from Concord and Burlington do send crews when stories warrant. But I digress.
Click to expand...

That is interesting because WMUR is not on Dish Network in the UV - my wife-to-be is a Dish subscriber. And yes I knew about WNNE being basically a rebroadcast of WPTZ. Believe it or not my local Comcast (Allenstown, NH - near Concord) has WNNE on Ch22. The point about WMUR's news not making as much sense on The UV's Pulse is because Vermont listeners probably could care less about what is going on in Manchester, Nashua, Concord etc.. as those on the other side of the Connecticut River.
 
"The point about WMUR's news not making as much sense on The UV's Pulse is because Vermont listeners probably could care less about what is going on in Manchester, Nashua, Concord etc.. as those on the other side of the Connecticut River."
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Exactly. This is a very similar situation to what WTSL was doing not-so-long-ago when they were
pretty much a total rebroadcast of a sister station in the Concord area with regional news, talk and even funnier, traffic reports. I'm not saying WMUR is a wrong choice for news for the UV, it's that
the UV is smack dab between Burlington and Concord and has overlapping areas of concern for "what's happening".
 
Not sure the WMUR news is a totally bad idea but I do question running it for an hour and 1/2 (5-6:30) in PM Drive. I think 6-6:30 would make more sense, And yes, they also carry it from 5-6am weekdays. In retrospect...the two strongest stations in the Upper Valley are the two country who are fihgting it out. I wonder why Nassau doesn't really hurt KIXX and put Wolf on the Q signal and the classic rock format on the current Wolf signal? Q106 is nowhere close to the cash machine it used to be with Vox so why not put something on it that can be a definitive #1 in the market?
 
With WEEI allegedly coming to town on one of the sets of FM's there, putting the Wolf on the 106.1 pow-pow-powerhouse, and moving classic rock to one of the other frequencies, could open up the opportunity for the Upper Valley to crank, "FranK".. ??
 
uv icon said:
I wonder why Nassau doesn't really hurt KIXX and put Wolf on the Q signal and the classic rock format on the current Wolf signal?

What WOLF has now that KIXX is lacking, is a good signal. The KIXX signal is really weak lately. But the quality of the station is much better then what you hear on cookie cutter wolf. My suggestion is move wolf to the Q stick and bring over the KIXX morning show. They can't be too happy in Cheapiro Shapiro land. Matt in the morning is leaving anyhow. Now THAT would be the makings of a solid number one.
Click to expand...
 
Are you serious Chicken? What are the odds of that ever happening? I heard KIXX was getting a new transmitter so that would take care of the signal issues, and would Nassau be willing to do what it takes to get those two over there? Tracy is the meat on that team anyway, Paul is a total newbee. Do you think she would run solo over to the dark side? I don't think Paul has the stomach go it alone. This has the potential to get very interesting.
 
Tracy isn't going anywhere because Nassau is probably even a worse place to be than in Jeff Cheapiro's building. She knows she's the top dog at KIXX but probably wouldn't enjoy that same status at Nassau and the Wolf. They seem to be putting effort into KIXX (new jingles, sweepers, updating programming) to make it a better station. But what is up with the FOX news? I was hearing it only in the left channel all morning!! How can you say "two steps forward and three steps back".

Always a pleasure.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't all of the new changes at KIXX started since Traci became the Program Director. Seems she really took control and made some positive adjustments. I know Brian Ryea is the Ops Man. but I find it hard to believe he is behind the positive changes on KIXX. That goofball is useless and has ZIPPO experience in programming a station let alone trying to run four of them. I'm guessing the rest of the staff in that facility is keeping them afloat...not Brian, the (as Green Machine put it) BOARD ops manager. Imus is back, maybe a staton in NH/VT wil pick him up and need a board op. Ready to get back to what you know how to do Brian?
 
I don't know Brian that well, so I won't comment on his abilities as an OM... I can only guess that he was the best candidate at the cheapest price that didn't turn Wally, Jeff & co. down. Rumor has it they knocked on MANY doors of "old pals" in their recruitment efforts and got the "thanks but no thanks" routine.
 
UV is right. Who knows what's going on at Nassau now. They are more worried about the EEI deal than anything else. I don't think the corp. heads worry about the Wolf being #1 as long as it pays for itself with a couple extra dollars for there pocket. Ben I heard the same rumor you did.. That job had "You must be a puppet" written all over it. I was thinking about it after reading what chicken said, Tracy must be ripping her hair out.
 
what is Shapiro doing with 101.7?

possibilities are endless, except of course with a move comingup that sheds new light on things.
 
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